Embalse La Mariposa, Water reservoir in Las Mayas, Venezuela.
Embalse La Mariposa is a drinking water reservoir on the outskirts of Caracas, fed by the Río El Valle and its tributary streams. It sits at around 981 meters above sea level and supplies fresh water to the metropolitan area.
The reservoir was built between 1946 and 1949, spanning the presidencies of Isaías Medina Angarita and Rómulo Gallegos, as part of an effort to modernize the water supply of Caracas. In 1957, a pumping system was added to bring water from the Tuy River into the basin.
The reservoir hosted the rowing events of the 1983 Pan American Games and still serves as a training ground for Venezuelan national canoeing teams. Visitors can watch athletes train on the water and get a direct sense of how this place is used for competitive sport today.
The reservoir sits on the edge of Caracas and is most easily reached by car, as it lies close to the main roads leading out of the city. Walking along the shore gives a good view of the water and the surrounding infrastructure, though some areas may be fenced off.
Water from the Tuy River has to be pumped uphill to reach the reservoir, since the basin sits higher than the source itself. This detail is invisible from the shore but makes the water supply of Caracas a notable feat of engineering.
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